How to choose the right digital documentation platform for your early learning service
How to choose the right digital documentation platform for your early learning service “D” is for diligence. Early childhood educators are required to provide rich, meaningful information about learning and development to families, to the community and to each other, that demonstrates a way of articulating and evidencing what they are doing, how they are doing it and what it...
You do not fit the child into the theory
The word theory has its roots in ancient Greek, basically meaning a view, a notion or contemplation. In the domain of early childhood education, theories are the overarching ideas that influence our pedagogical practices, and each theory or theorist has a perspective that has generally evolved over long periods of time. Iterative in nature, theories are often contributed to and...
Supporting te reo Māori
Storypark for Families app learned its first words in te reo Māori Storypark has taken further steps towards providing more support for te reo Māori. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is 9–15 September this year, and as a New Zealand company, we wanted to show our support for te reo in Storypark. Educators have been able...
Welcoming New Families to Your Service
Welcoming New Families to Your Learning Service Choosing an early childhood service is a significant decision for most parents of young children. Having strategies to make new families feel welcome and included is so important. Here are some tried and tested suggestions to help a new child and their family feel a sense of belonging in your learning service: Keep in...
Leading Children in Practicing Citizenship
A teacher’s governing role serves as the foundation of their student’s experimental learning in the room. Styles can range from traditional authority, which is about obeying and not questioning rules. It can be adult-driven rather than child-centred. Democratic leadership involves participation, respects its students’ opinions, increases cooperation and gives instruction only after consulting with the group. You may find that...
Improving Engagement With Parents
Storypark’s purpose is to help every child fulfil their unique potential, by connecting and empowering the community around them. A key part of how we seek to achieve this is by sharing each child’s learning with their family and seeking feedback to extend each child’s unique interests. One of the most requested features from both educators and families has been...
Technology is a gamechanger at Central Michigan learning lab
Mount Pleasant in Central Michigan is home to one of the state’s largest universities. Central Michigan University, with 20,000 students, almost double the population of the city and is known as a “college town”. From its beginnings as a teacher’s college, the university now offers programs ranging from health and science, engineering, business and communications, and technology. The student and...
What does it mean to be a Reggio Emilia inspired early learning service?
What does it mean to be a Reggio Emilia inspired early learning service? You do not need to look hard to find early learning services aligning their programs and practices with the Reggio Emilia educational project. Early learning services often describe themselves as ‘Reggio inspired’ while others may recruit for educators that demonstrate an understanding of the ‘Reggio approach.’ It...
Stronger together
Stronger together: The power of digital documentation when working with families who speak other languages With increasing numbers of people emigrating from their home countries to far off lands, educators all across the world are now working with diverse communities of children and families. This diversity is something that we celebrate, as we seek to learn more about and incorporate...
Communicating the Benefits of Art Therapy
Veronica Bestall has a vision. A vision to create more awareness of the benefits Art Therapy provides for understanding emotions, being fully self-expressed, processing grief and trauma and developing healthy social skills. Storypark is helping her do this. Veronica shared with us how she is using Storypark to support children with ASD and anxiety who attend art therapy sessions at...